Community & Business
3 December, 2024
O’Connells celebrate 60 years of marriage
Oakey residents Brian and Vonnie O’Connell celebrated their Diamond Jubilee wedding anniversary recently, with a luncheon at the Oakey RSL.
Brian O’Connell and Veronica (nee Panske) were married on 31st October 1964 at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Toowoomba.
Both were brought up on dairy farms, with Brian hailing from Kingsthorpe and Veronica from Gowrie Little Plain.
The O’Connells started married life on a farming property at Bowenville, where Brian worked as a farm hand on the property, “Wainui” for 25 years with mixed agriculture - cattle, sheep and grain.
Vonnie, apart from raising their children - John, Brett and Jason, also did a number of odd-jobs in the local community.
The boys were educated in primary school at Bowenville where Brian was an executive member on the primary school P&C committee for several years.
Both were active members of the Bowenville Tennis Club, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Bowenville Dance Hall Committee.
After leaving “Wainui” Brian continued his working life with the Jondaryan Shire Council for 18 years, while Vonnie took on the role of a cleaner at the Oakey State High School for 12 years.
Brian was honoured by the Jondaryan Shire Council for his service on the occasion of his retirement at the age of 70, while Veronica retired in the same year at the age of 67.
The couple retired to Oakey, where they have lived for the last 33 years and where they are visited often from Maryborough by grandchildren Erin, Gracen, Rory and Darcy.
